Road Trip Planning 101

Are you planning a road trip for the summer? Don’t you wish you could just hop in the car and go without a plan? Unfortunately that might not be the best idea if you want to make the most out of your trip. Tom and Ray Maliozzi from Cars.com have come up with a list of top 10 tips for road trips (http://bit.ly/Ka9Iqi). These are some of our favorites:

·         Get Your Car Checked Out – You don’t want to risk your car not working in unfamiliar territory because of something that could have been prevented. Plan to have your vehicle thoroughly serviced before your road trip.

·         Build in Rest Days – You’re going on a road trip to have fun, not wear yourself out! When planning your itinerary add a few extra rest days in between driving.  That also means you’ll be easier on your car, which makes it less likely to break down.

·         Bring a Basic Repair Kit – Have a repair kit ready for little things you can fix yourself. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a few different sizes of regular and Phillips-head screwdrivers, vice grips, etc.

·         Join a travel club – Joining a travel club like AAA will save you a lot of hassle if you do break down or blow a tire. Also check with Better World Club or an auto club offered by your car’s manufacturer.

·         Check the Air Pressure, Including the Spare – A car has 5 tires, not 4! Before you leave for your trip, check the pressure on your 4 main tires, but on your spare tire as well

·         Don’t forget to have fun! – No matter how much you prepare, unexpected things can still happen. Don’t sweat it too much though. Remember, you’re on vacation!

Read all 10 road trip tips here: http://bit.ly/Ka9Iqi

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How Long Do Tires Last?

Tires are important. They are your car’s connection to the road, and it’s crucial that tires stay in good shape to keep your car running smoothly. But how long do tires really last? This article from Cars.com will tell you how:

We would expect at least 50,000 miles from the tires that come with any new vehicle, but tire life depends on so many factors that it's impossible to give anything other than broad guidelines.

Among the factors are the quality of the tire, the treadwear rating, whether it is a performance summer tire or an all-season tire, the type of vehicle it is mounted on and how it is driven. Performance tires may grip like leeches on dry pavement, but they tend to wear out faster than tires with less rolling resistance. If you drive your vehicle like you just stole it that also will wear tires faster. The Tires 101 information in the Cars.com Advice section, found here, will help you sort out the different types of tires and which is best for your driving style.

Driving for extended periods on underinflated tires shortens their lifespan, as will driving a vehicle whose wheels are out of alignment. If you never or seldom have your tires rotated, that also can accelerate wear, especially the tires mounted in front on a front-wheel-drive vehicle. They not only carry most of the vehicle's weight but also carry most of the load in braking, cornering and jackrabbit starts.

Though we would expect at least 50,000 miles from original-equipment (and quality replacement) tires, the reality can be quite different. Owners of late-model Honda CR-Vs have complained to us, for example, that they had to replace all four tires around 20,000 miles. We also hear complaints from people who bought replacement tires that were supposed to last 50,000 miles or more but were good for only 30,000 miles. In other words, there are no promises.

Here are some additional guidelines: You don't have to spend lavishly on tires, but don't automatically buy the cheapest ones either. Tires are the only part of your vehicle that are supposed to touch the ground, so make sure they're up to the task. Choose tires that have high treadwear and traction ratings, and bear in mind that performance tires with higher speed ratings may not last long. A balanced combination of wet traction, ride comfort, low noise levels and a high treadwear rating will probably be your best bet.

Article courtesy of: http://bit.ly/13x3aNS

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Worst Car Maintenance Mistakes You Can Make

A part of owning a car is coming to terms with the fact that things are going to go wrong. Parts are going to fail, bulbs will burn out, engine lights will come on, and belts will need to be replaced. Maintenance is inevitable whether you choose to do it yourself or take your car to a professional. There are a number of big mistakes do-it-your-selfers and sometimes even professional mechanics can make when “fixing” vehicle. This article (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/vehicle-maintenance/10-serious-mistakes-car-maintenance.htm#page=0) tells you some of the most common mistakes to watch for. Here are some of the highlights:

• Roaming around with burned out lights – Headlights and high beams are easy to spot when they burn out, but tail lights, brake lights, and running lights burn out too. This is one of the cheapest and easiest car maintenance tasks, so don’t put it off!
•  Attempting a jump start without really knowing how – Sending electricity to places it isn’t supposed to be can fry your car…or you! Don’t let that happen. Learn how to jump start a car before you actually have to do it.
• Assuming bald tires will last a bit longer – Tires give a car the proper contact with road it needs to drive safely. If your tires are bald the car’s contact with the road isn’t so good anymore. Get a new set when the tires go bald, even if the tread looks decent.
• Forgetting to torque the lug nuts – After changing or rotating wheels you need to make sure there is a proper amount of force applied to the lug nuts. If there’s not, eventually the pressure of driving will force the lug nuts off, which could cause your tire to leave your car while driving. No one wants that.
•     Forgetting to replace drained fluids – Gasoline isn’t the only important fluid in your car. Oil and transmission fluid keep your engine running smoothly. Brake fluid helps maintain proper pressure in your brakes. Coolant keeps things from getting too hot or too cold. These things are all important in keeping your car from having serious issues, so always triple-check that the fluids have been refilled after being drained.
•   Ignoring warning lights – Warning lights come on for one reason only, something isn’t functioning right. The longer you let it go, the more serious the issue can become. Even if you think it’s something simple like your gas cap not being tight enough, get those warning lights checked!

Read all ten maintenance mistakes here: http://bit.ly/18YoBa2.

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The History of the Garage: An Infographic

Car garages. We don’t really think about them, do we? Garages are one of the things we take for granted; they protect our cars from the elements, are great storage centers - and are everywhere. No, really: the U.S. alone has 82 million homes with a garage; that’s enough to store every car made in the world last year.

Don’t forget: in the beginning, drivers didn’t have actual, personal garages; they used converted carriage houses that once held horses. Nowadays, the garage is so common we don’t even think twice about it.

Check out Autoblog’s full-length infographic to see even more cool facts about these underappreciated buildings!

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An Infographic: The 10 Greatest Road Trip Destinations & Money Saving Tips

Summer’s almost here, and as the sun begins to shine and we start to come up with ideas for what to do during weekends or vacations, the road is beginning to call to us.

A good road trip can be a truly wonderful and relaxing escape from our daily routine. But after the excitement of a possible road trip comes the questions: where in the world should I go during my road trip? And what sort of budget should I prepare?

No idea where to start and how to begin planning your amazing summer roadtrip? Have no fear, fellow drivers: use this handy infographic to see some of the most popular road trip destinations. It even has a formula to help you calculate how much money you’ll need for that great trip you’re planning! Click here to view a larger image if you need to.

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